A Parent's Guide to the Curriculum

FOUNDATION STAGE

All children in the Nursery and Reception classes follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Children learn through a variety of self-directed and adult led activities which take place both in class and in the outdoor area.

Adults observe and interact with children to move learning on, using the child’s interests to motivate and extend understanding and skills.

At the end of the Reception year children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals.

KEY STAGE 1 AND 2

The Primary years are divided into two phases:

KS1, years 1 & 2 age 5-7 & KS2, years 3-6 age 7-11

Programmes of work and arrangements for assessment are followed by both phases as prescribed in the National Curriculum.

The curriculum

At our Roman Catholic school Religious Education is a core subject.

Core Subjects

Foundation Subjects

English

Mathematics

Science

RE

Art

Design Technology

Geography

History

Music

P.E.

Modern Foreign Languages – French

Information Technology

Our curriculum is attributes led and aims to support the development of the whole child. We focus on the Corpus Christi 6 C's;

Compassionate, Co-operative, Courageous,

Conscientious, Curious & Creative

with the ultimate aim to always 'Just be Kind'.

A programme of Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHE) supports us in this aim.

Our curriculum is delivered through a variety of topics or themes across year groups. This helps children to make connections between areas of learning, promotes enjoyment and encourages the development and application of skills.

Religious Education

As a Catholic school our faith permeates every aspect of our school. Religion is a relationship of love between the child and God, and between the child and other people, in our community. Religious Education fosters this relationship through daily prayer, Acts of Worship and Celebrations of Liturgy. As a Catholic school we feel it is important that children learn how to co-operate with and forgive others. Scripture, teachings of the Church and the teachers’ own witness and example are the means by which these are taught.

As a whole school we follow a Nationally approved Catholic Religious Education scheme entitled ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’.

Links are made with the pupils’ own experiences, universal experiences and with the experiences of other faith traditions. The ‘Way the Truth and the Life’ programme presents the Christian message and way of life, in contexts appropriate to the age and stage of development of each child.

The priests of our parishes regularly visit the school, and are a link with the wider community of the Church.

Collective Worship

At Corpus Christi Primary School we have a daily Collective Act of Worship. This involves the school community coming together, as a school, key stage or class group, and is a valuable part of our school day. On many Wednesdays the children of a class lead us in an assembly, and parents are welcome to attend.

We celebrate Mass as a community always on Holy days, and throughout the school year. We welcome parents and other parishioners to join us on these occasions. Our Feast day for Corpus Christi is always celebrated at school with our First Holy Communicants leading us in prayer at Mass. Bible club runs every Wednesday lunchtime. We follow the resources supplied by INSIGHT Schools Ministry.

English

We aim to develop children who are skilled in the use of English in each of the following areas:

Speaking and listening. Children are encouraged to develop the confidence to

express themselves fluently in small groups and to a wide audience through a range of activities, including role play, drama and presentational tasks.

Reading. Children are taught to read using Read Write Inc. Phonics, a comprehensive literacy programme for children learning to read in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. This programme starts with the systematic teaching of phonics. Storybooks are matched to sounds they know so that children develop accuracy, speed and confidence.

In order to ensure the vital transition for children between learning to read and choosing to read for pleasure, the children move on to 'The Power of Reading' programme once they have mastered decoding skills. 'The Power of Reading' is an English scheme of work run by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) which aims to improve children's engagement with reading and the English curriculum through their immersion in high-quality age-appropriate literature. This immersion includes lessons in reading, writing and other subjects across the curriculum and is linked to the theme each year group are learning.

Our core reading scheme is Oxford Reading Tree and this is supported by other high-quality age-appropriate literature to provide a broad reading scheme for children.

We expect all children to read regularly at home and a reading diary between home & school is used to record children’s achievements.

Writing. Children are taught to develop and extend their ability to write accurately, clear and coherently for different purposes and audiences. The class 'Power of Reading' text is used to provide context and inspiration for children's writing. Technical skills are taught in regular grammar, punctuation and spelling lessons and children are encouraged to apply this understanding in all written tasks.

Mathematics

We aim to equip all children with the mathematical skills needed in everyday life and the confidence and ability to apply them in practical situations. There is a strong emphasis on the acquisition of mental skills as well as written methods.

Science

We believe that Science in school should stimulate curiosity, enthusiasm and enquiry. Through Science children are encouraged to use observations and predictions to devise and plan experiments. As a result of these they are asked to draw conclusions and communicate their ideas.

Computing

The computer is an established tool in classroom activities and has wide-reaching applications in all areas of the curriculum. All children have access to a range of technology in the classroom. We also have a modern, air-conditioned, well equipped IT suite which can accommodate up to 30 pupils. This facility enables whole class teaching of computing skills.

History

History is taught through a series of topics so that children build up a sense of chronology. Children are encouraged to take an interest in the past and ask questions, to look at evidence and draw conclusions and to think about points of view. They are given the opportunity to communicate this understanding through oral accounts, art and craft work, recounts, drama, and ICT.

Geography

Like History, Geography is taught through a series of topics. Children learn about people and places, weather and climate, the physical features of land forms and mountains, seas and rivers. Map work forms an important part of our Geography curriculum.

Art

Art Education enables children to use, understand and enjoy visual forms of communication.

We encourage children to develop their skills of observation and develop an appreciation of line, form, shape, pattern, tone and colour in the environment.

Children are encouraged to enjoy their work and to develop their creativity and critical awareness through constructive consideration of their own and other artists’ work.

We visit Art Galleries and Museums and take advantage of the specialist educational facilities they offer.

Music

Children in year 3 have drumming lessons taught by a music specialist from Kingston Music Service. Children from years 2-6 can choose to have a lesson in a wide range of instruments again led by specialist teachers.

Our Choir sing at whole school and Parish celebrations and perform at John Lewis, The Rose Theatre in Kingston, Westminster Cathedral and even Wembley!

Modern Foreign Languages

We currently teach French to all children from Reception—Year 6. Our specialist teacher works with older pupils throughout the school.

Teaching is based on encouraging as much oral communication as possible and developing good pronunciation.

Design & Technology

Technology is about the development of problem-solving skills which are relevant across the whole curriculum. In their Technology activities we encourage children to apply their knowledge and previous experience, and to develop their individual expertise/flair and imagination as well as questioning their skills and strategies in order to perfect them.

Sports & Physical Education

We encourage children to be active. Within the formal curriculum all children take part in PE and Games. They have opportunities to learn skills in gymnastics, dance and indoor and outdoor games.

We have a number of partnerships with local sporting organisations and children are sometimes able to receive professional sporting tuition. We regularly take part in inter school competitions and won the London Youth Games for Cricket in 2017.

Personal, Social, Health, Emotional & Citizenship Education

As a Catholic School we place great emphasis on the personal development of each child. We aim to integrate a pupil’s intellectual, spiritual, moral, emotional, psychological and physical development leading towards Christian maturity and equipping the child with a set of values for life.

Education in Personal Relationships is part of our PSHE programme designed to meet the needs and maturity of children. The Governors have agreed a policy for personal relationship education and it is available from the school office. This programme entitled ‘Journey in Love’ explores relationships in all its different aspects.

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the non-statutory parts of personal relationship education.

The Wider Curriculum

We believe it is essential to allow children to enrich and extend their learning beyond the formal curriculum and regularly provide opportunities for children to take part in lunchtime and after school activities. We provide an extensive programme of ‘clubs’ including Chess, French, Spanish, Football, Multi-sports, Netball, Lego, Karate, Musical Theatre, Ballet, Street Jazz, Cheerleading and Forest School.

Contact details for all of our clubs are available from the school office.

How to Find out More

More information about the curriculum we study here can be found:

By attending our annual open evening for parents and carers

By looking at your specific year group under the curriculum tab of the website to see the termly topic webs